by Keach Hagey
35. He raised his bid: Peter Barnes, “Two Rival Suitors for Viacom Sweeten Bids Again,” Wall Street Journal, March 3, 1987.
36. “The management must have”: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 134–36.
37. On March 4, 1987: Peter Barnes, “National Amusements Wins Bidding War for Viacom with Its Offer of $3.4 billion,” Wall Street Journal, March 4, 1987.
38. “This could add another 10”: Laura Landro, “Theater Magnate Redstone May Find Running Viacom Is Toughest Act Yet,” Wall Street Journal, March 6, 1987.
39. But Sumner said all: Geraldine Fabrikant, “His Toughest Challenge Yet,” New York Times, March 15, 1987.
40. The same month that Sumner seized: “Mystery Multiplex Plan Fueled Redstone UK Launch Rumours,” Screen International, March 28, 1987.
41. The Journal noted: Landro, “Theater Magnate Redstone May Find Running Viacom Is Toughest Act Yet.”
42. The Boston Globe heralded: “Michael Redstone, Owned Theaters, Latin Quarter Nightclub; At 85,” Boston Globe, April 6, 1987; Michael Redstone obituary, New York Times, April 6, 1987.
43. The consulate informed: Ruth Ann Redstone obituary, New York Times, April 30, 1987.
44. “The discovery sent shock waves”: Ed Priebe, “Prostitution and Political Seduction,” exfamily.org, March 2002, http://www.exfamily.org/art/exmem/ffing_ed.shtml.
45. Although Ruth Ann was in: Redstone v. Schuster, Deposition of Edward Redstone, 48–49; Lenzner and Pendleton, “Family Feud.”
46. “When she was in her late 70s”: Newman, “Fort Sumner.”
47. “One of the great regrets of my life”: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 142.
48. On December 1: Redstone v. Schuster, Deposition of Edward Redstone; “Leila W. Redstone,” Lowell (MA) Sun, December 3, 1987.
49. On June 17, 1986: Voss, “The $80 Billion Love Affair.”
50. They picked out a: Declaration of Trust of the Twin Pond Trust, August 24, 1988; Mortgage for 4 Twin Pond Lane, August 30, 1988.
51. “I despair”: Delsa Winer diary from 1988–89, courtesy of Winn Wittman.
Chapter 10: Scaling Paramount
1. “I have a great feeling for the company”: Landro, “Theater Magnate Redstone May Find Running Viacom Is Toughest Act Yet.”
2. “I didn’t really know the full difference”: “Redstone Tells Showeast Exhibs He Still Holds Pix/Theaters Dear,” Variety, September 23, 1987.
3. During a three-day retreat: Interview with Ken Gorman.
4. A child of the New Jersey: Kathryn Harris, “Entertainment Mega-Merger: Biondi: ‘Glue’ for Media Colossus?” Los Angeles Times, February 16, 1994.
5. Sumner had Dauman: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 147; Ken Auletta, “Redstone’s Secret Weapon,” New Yorker, January 16, 1995.
6. Sumner called Biondi’s wife, Carol: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 147.
7. On top of that, reruns: Auletta, “Redstone’s Secret Weapon.”
8. A little over a year after: Robert Lenzner, “Redstone’s Entertainment Empire: It All Adds Up to a Family Worth between $1.5 and $2 Billion, Possibly the Wealthiest in Boston,” Boston Globe, August 7, 1988.
9. The company was still operating at a loss: Lisa Gubernick, “Sumner Redstone Scores Again,” Forbes, October 31, 1988.
10. For the first time, Sumner joined fellow newbies Donald Trump: “The Rich Get a Little Richer,” Associated Press, October 11, 1988.
11. The Boston Globe figured the Redstones: Lenzner, “Redstone’s Entertainment Empire.”
12. By 1989, Forbes pegged him: Jack Thomas, “He Lives by His Own Rules,” Boston Globe, November 6, 1989.
13. Over deafening screams: “MTV Inaugural Ball Bill Clinton,” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rt9oy-wbA0&t=206s.
14. Even amid the glow: “Redstone Tells Showeast Exhibs He Still Holds Pix/Theaters Dear.”
15. “The only thing we lack is a studio”: “Redstone Cautious about Buying Studio,” Boston Globe, October 7, 1989.
16. Hollywood was built by exhibitors: Neal Gabler, An Empire of Their Own (New York: Doubleday, 1988).
17. But just as he was making his move: Andrew L. Yarrow, “The Studios’ Move on Theaters,” New York Times, December 25, 1987.
18. In 1989, Time Inc., the publisher: Robert Lenzner, “Super Merger Proposed,” Boston Globe, March 12, 1989.
19. “There will emerge on a worldwide basis”: John Cassidy, “Whatever Happened to Time Inc.?” New Yorker, March 7, 2013.
20. Very soon afterward: Kathryn Harris, “Viacom Seeks a Role in the Land of Media Giants,” Los Angeles Times, November 19, 1989.
21. From the moment he seized Viacom: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 175.
22. Paramount was not just the last: Ken Auletta, “The Last Studio in Play,” New Yorker, October 4, 1993.
23. Paramount had been the first truly dominant: Douglas Gomery, The Hollywood Studio System: A History (London: British Film Institute, 2005), 1–25.
24. Davis then set about unmaking: Michael Cieply, “Martin Davis on the Prowl,” Los Angeles Times, November 12, 1989.
25. “He was acting like”: Bryan Burrough, “The Siege of Paramount,” Vanity Fair, February 1994.
26. Davis knew: Ibid.
27. The studio had suffered: Auletta, “The Last Studio in Play.”
28. This time it wasn’t Herb Allen: Randall Smith, “How Greenhill Bagged First Megadeal in New Role at Smith Barney Shearson,” Wall Street Journal, September 13, 1993.
29. In April 1993, Sumner and Dauman: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 180.
30. Paramount was slightly larger: Laura Landro and Johnnie L. Roberts, “Paramount, Viacom Discuss a Stock Swap,” Wall Street Journal, September 10, 1993.
31. From that evening onward: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 183.
32. “You know, Sumner”: Ibid., 190.
33. At seven forty-five a.m. on Sunday: Geraldine Fabrikant, “Sumner Redstone Lands the Big One,” New York Times, September 13, 1993.
34. The next day, wearing: Jonathan Weber, “Viacom, Paramount See Smooth Merger,” Los Angeles Times, September 14, 1993.
35. Although many of the questions: Geraldine Fabrikant, “Martin Davis Finds His Deal,” New York Times, September 13, 1993.
36. Sumner declared: Beth Belton, “Paramount, Viacom Celebrate Marriage,” USA Today, September 14, 1993.
Chapter 11: Killer Diller
1. The day after his bombastic: Randall Smith and Johnnie L. Roberts, “Viacom’s Proposal to Buy Paramount Got a Helping Hand,” Wall Street Journal, September 14, 1993.
2. Viacom argued that: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 195.
3. Diller had grown up the son: Aaron Zitner, “The Intangible Assets of Barry Diller,” Boston Globe, September 26, 1993.
4. When he left Fox: Kim Masters and Paul Farhi, “Fox Chairman Barry Diller Resigns,” Washington Post, February 25, 1992.
5. Diller invested $25 million: John Lippman, “Shopping Network’s Potential Attracted Diller,” Los Angeles Times, December 11, 1992.
6. Four days after announcing: Johnnie L. Roberts and Randall Smith, “QVC and Diller Consider a Bid for Paramount,” Wall Street Journal, September 16, 1993.
7. Sumner had been worried: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 193.
8. As for Diller: Geraldine Fabrikant, “Shuffling Hollywood’s Deal Deck,” New York Times, November 6, 1993.
9. When the formal bid came: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 194.
10. The bid was overwhelming: Kathryn Harris and John Lippman, “Diller Seeks to Outbid Viacom for Paramount,” Los Angeles Times, September 21, 1993.
11. As Mario Gabelli: Laura Landro and Johnnie L. Roberts, “QVC’s $9.5 Billion Bid for Paramount Brings Industry Titans to Fray,” Wall Street Journal, September 21, 1993.
12. When the Journal: Laura Landro and Johnnie L. Roberts, “Viacom Vows to Buy Paramount but Asserts It Won’t Raise Bid,” Wall Street Journal, September 23, 1993.
13. Three days after QVC: Johnnie L.
Roberts and Laura Landro, “Viacom Files Suit to Halt QVC’s Bid for Paramount,” Wall Street Journal, September 24, 1993.
14. Altogether, his market power: “John Malone’s TV-Dinner,” Economist, July 10, 1993.
15. In the meantime, Sumner: Kathryn Harris, “Defending the Deal,” Los Angeles Times, September 27, 1993.
16. They wooed: Rayne Boyce, “Blockbuster Entertainment Enters into Strategic Relationship with Viacom,” Business Wire, September 29, 1993; Geraldine Fabrikant, “Nynex Aid for Viacom in Its Bid, $1.2 Billion Added to Paramount Fight,” New York Times, October 5, 1993.
17. Just as whispers: Ken Auletta, “John Malone: Flying Solo,” New Yorker, February 7, 1994.
18. Sumner, who had testified: Michael L. Rozansky, “Malone Assailed by Viacom Chief at Senate Hearing,” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 28, 1993.
19. Meanwhile, Diller’s side: Randall Smith and Johnnie L. Roberts, “Court Blocks Acquisition of Paramount by Viacom,” Wall Street Journal, November 26, 1993.
20. Paramount’s board: Burrough, “The Siege of Paramount.”
21. The haggling between: John Lippman, “QVC Raises Per-Share Bid to $90 Merger,” Los Angeles Times, November 13, 1993.
22. Analysts started to complain: Laura Landro, “Redstone, Diller Show That Egos Are Paramount,” Wall Street Journal, December 20, 1993.
23. Wall Street hated the: Geraldine Fabrikant, “Viacom Announces Merger and Raises Bid for Paramount,” New York Times, January 8, 1994.
24. Huizenga was the kind: James Cox, “Work Is Play for Huizenga,” USA Today, January 10, 1994.
25. Although he saw the writing on the technological wall: Anita Sharpe, “Graceful Exit; Blockbuster Merger Viewed as Bailout for Chairman,” Wall Street Journal, January 11, 1994.
26. As the February 1: Kathryn Harris, “Viacom Raises Paramount Bid by $80 Million in Cash, Stock Mergers,” Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1994.
27. Diller raised his bid: Skip Wollenberg, “Viacom, QVC Alter Bids at Deadline,” Austin American-Statesman, February 2, 1994.
28. A few months earlier: Johnnie L. Roberts, “Redstone’s Wife Filed for Divorce but Dropped Suit,” Wall Street Journal, December 22, 1993.
29. As the final shares: James Bates, “Paramount Deal: A Show Closes, a Look at the Script,” Los Angeles Times, February 16, 1994.
Chapter 12: Immortality
1. single slab of dried corned beef: Elizabeth Lesley, Gail Degeorge, and Ronald Grover, “Sumner’s Last Stand,” Businessweek, March 2, 1997.
2. “I’m one of those people”: Steve Fainaru, “Multimedia Man: Born before TV, 71-year-old Sumner Redstone Leads a Communications Empire into a New Era,” Boston Globe, January 22, 1995.
3. Days after the deal was done: Stephen Galloway, Leading Lady: Sherry Lansing and the Making of a Hollywood Groundbreaker (New York: Crown Archetype, 2017), 205.
4. The Paramount fight: Lesley, Degeorge, and Grover, “Sumner’s Last Stand.”
5. In order to service this debt: Ibid.
6. When the New Yorker: Auletta, “Redstone’s Secret Weapon.”
7. “I would have thought”: David Lieberman, “Redstone Kids Not in Line for Viacom,” USA Today, January 10, 1995.
8. Brent was the first Redstone: “Viacom Inc.,” Wall Street Journal, November 25, 1991.
9. Early in his career, he won: “18-Year Term in Child Rape,” Boston Globe, March 28, 1982.
10. Toward the end, he prosecuted: John H. Kennedy, “Cocaine Psychosis Cited in Boy’s Beating Death,” Boston Globe, July 12, 1989.
11. The man was charged: Doris Sue Wong, “Killer of Boy Given 18–20 Year Term,” Boston Globe, July 18, 1989.
12. Brent inherited his father’s height: Background interviews.
13. Sumner had come: Lloyd Grove, “Sumner’s Discontent: The Tale of a Latter-Day King Lear,” Portfolio, February 2009.
14. In May 1994: “Former Redstone Son-in-Law Quits Theater Chain,” Los Angeles Times, May 20, 1994.
15. Once a clean-shaven business: Mark Jurkowitz, “Transformed by Tradition,” Boston Globe, April 1, 1999.
16. Shari, who had once: “New Bus Service from Dover Area to Local Day Schools,” Jewish Advocate, May 24, 1990.
17. As she recounted to Forbes: Matzer and Lenzner, “Winning Is the Only Thing.”
Chapter 13: “Remember, I’m in Control!”
1. Viacom was the toast: John Batelle, “Viacom Doesn’t Suck,” Wired, April 1, 1995.
2. The stock was down 27 percent: Laura Landro and Mark Robichaux, “Biondi Is Forced Out at Viacom,” Wall Street Journal, January 18, 1996.
3. Viacom executives told the New York Times: Mark Landler and Geraldine Fabrikant, “His Place Among the Moguls,” New York Times, January 19, 1996.
4. Several other Viacom: Mark Landler, “Viacom Chief Ousted, Paramount’s Performance a Factor,” New York Times, January 18, 1996.
5. In his autobiography: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 268.
6. In the wake of Biondi’s: Ken Auletta, “That’s Entertainment,” New Yorker, February 12, 1996.
7. Many Viacom executives: Tom Freston and background interviews.
8. According to a subsequent: Auletta, “That’s Entertainment.”
9. As one person who was part of the discussions: Background interview.
10. Sumner responded to queries: Mark Landler and Geraldine Fabrikant, “The Media Business: His Place Among the Moguls,” New York Times, January 19, 1996.
11. He got off to a strong start: Geraldine Fabrikant, “TV Agreement Gives Viacom Greater Access to Germany,” New York Times, April 9, 1996.
12. Viacom had to take a staggering: Eben Shapiro, “Viacom Plans Big $100 Million Charge for Closing 50 Blockbuster Music Stores,” Wall Street Journal, January 8, 1997.
13. “I was shocked”: Geraldine Fabrikant, “A Question of Skills: Viacom’s Deal Maker Falters in Running What He Buys,” New York Times, April 23, 1997.
14. Most troublingly: Eben Shapiro, “How Viacom’s Deal for Blockbuster Chain Went Sour So Fast,” Wall Street Journal, February 21, 1997.
15. But the worst blow for: Lesley, Degeorge, and Grover, “Sumner’s Last Stand.”
16. “I could hardly sleep at night”: Redstone, A Passion to Win, 39.
17. He ousted Bill Fields: Ibid., 40.
18. They nixed Fields’s: Eben Shapiro, “Blockbuster Rescue Bid Stars Viacom Top Guns,” Wall Street Journal, May 7, 1997.
19. “We are out of the retail business”: Eben Shapiro, “Viacom Posts Loss of $195 Million as It Attempts to Fix Blockbuster,” Wall Street Journal, August 6, 1997.
20. Within a year, the stock was back up: Claudia Eller and Mark Saylor, “At 74, Mogul Redstone Still Finds Running Viacom Entertaining,” Los Angeles Times, April 29, 1998.
21. The son of Eastern European: Mark Gunther, “King of All Radio,” Fortune, April 14, 1997.
22. Along the way, Karmazin: Michael Hiltzik, “Company Town: Creating a Media Giant; the Leaders; Shared Vision, Contrasting Styles,” Los Angeles Times, September 8, 1999.
23. By 1997, Westinghouse: Ken Auletta, “The Invisible Manager,” New Yorker, July 27, 1998.
24. He went from running: Claudia Eller, “Infinity Chief Seen as Shrewd Manager,” Los Angeles Times, June 21, 1996; Kyle Pope and Timothy Aeppel, “CBS Shake-Up Now Has to Play a Tough Crowd,” Wall Street Journal, May 27, 1997.
25. When CBS announced: Geraldine Fabrikant, “At CBS News of a New Chairman and a Strong Earnings Report Quickly Lifts Share Prices,” New York Times, October 30, 1998.
26. “We felt it was important”: Kyle Pope and Martin Peers, “Merging Moguls: Redstone, Karmazin Both Like to Be Boss; Now, They Must Share,” Wall Street Journal, September 8, 1999.
27. But as he was launching: Hiltzik, “Company Town: Creating a Media Giant.”
28. And then, a few years: Kim Masters, “Sumner Redstone Gal Pal Says She Got Nothing,” Hollywood Reporter, July 28, 2010.
; 29. When Evans suffered: Michael Cieply, “A Hollywood Player Inspires a Broadway Play,” New York Times, February 10, 2010.
30. When Sumner vacationed: Mitchell Fink, “Chief’s Sizzling Sumner Vacation,” New York Daily News, September 8, 1998.
31. She hired a private detective: Jeane MacIntosh, “Viacom Mogul Could Be Sumner $quashed—Wife Calls Him Cheater, Wants Half His Fortune,” New York Post, September 19, 1999.